Consumers typically select a specific lamp based on function (e.g. light distribution or pattern, light emitter type, etc.) and for an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Wall or ceiling mountable reading lamps of various types are known. One popular lamp type fixes an incandescent or halogen bulb in a housing having an open end through which the bulb emits light, e.g. for reading, task lighting, or even area lighting.
In such incandescent lamps, the housing open end is typically physically open to ventilate air flow, for placing a burned-out incandescent bulb, and for light emission. Indeed, in one such lamp marketed by the Assignee of the present invention, the peripheral wall of the housing, adjacent the open end, is pierced by circumferentially spaced and elongated slots, which provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, a glow from light reflected from the opposite side of the inner face of the housing, and additional ventilation through the housing.
However, in contrast to common incandescent bulbs, a halogen bulb's packaging may warn the user: (1) avoid use close to combustible materials to avoid possibility of fire, (2) to avoid skin burns wait for bulb to cool before handling, (3) do not touch the cool bulb with the bare hands, or if touched wipe fingerprints remaining on the halogen bulb's glass envelope with alcohol before lighting, (4) do not stare at the operating bulb to avoid the risk of serious eye injury, and (5) do not move the lamp during operation because mechanical shock can cause shattering of the bulb. Thus, typically, for reasons of safety, the open end of a halogen lamp housing is normally covered by a frosted, protective, heat resistant, light transmitting lens, typically a sturdy, relatively thick glass lens, and a housing peripheral wall that is non-perforate. This disadvantageously limits the range of aesthetically pleasing appearance effects available to manufacturers of halogen lamps.
Accordingly, the objects and purposes of this invention include overcoming disadvantages of prior known lamps, such as those discussed above.